Bathe the Cat

Cats + water: What could go wrong? This riotous romp of a picture book follows a frantic family as they try to get some chores done--with no help from the family cat, who keeps scrambling the list of chores to hilarious effect. Get ready for a rollicking read-aloud with a truly purrfect ending.

It's cleaning day, but the family cat will do anything to avoid getting a bath. So instead of mopping the floor or feeding the fish, the family is soon busy rocking the rug, vacuuming the lawn, and sweeping the dishes. Bouncy rhyme carries the story headlong into the growing hilarity, until finally Dad restores some kind of order--but will the cat avoid getting his whiskers wet?

HILARIOUS READ-ALOUD: Word scrambles are a delight in this silly rhyming picture book! Kids will love the accessible rhyming text, and emerging readers will be able to anticipate words after repeated reads, making for an engaging and interactive read-aloud experience.

CATNIP FOR CAT LOVERS: This sweet and sneaky feline will do anything to get out of having a bath! Ample cat antics and scenes of increasing mischief (and increasing chaos!) around the house will tickle young readers and entice parents--particularly those with a furry feline of their own in the house.

TWO DADS LEAD THE WAY: Dad and Papa are the heads of this large and loving biracial family, mirroring illustrator David Roberts' own orientation and providing picture book readers with a positive depiction of LGBTQ+ characters in a fun and funny family story.

WINNING AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR TEAM: Alice McGinty is a prolific author of books for children, and David Roberts is well-known for his work on the New York Times bestselling Questioneers series. Together, their upbeat text and energetic art with pops of neon color make for a standout picture book, just right for gifting and enjoying together at storytime.

Perfect for:

• Parents looking for fun stories with cats and good books about diverse families to share with their kids
• Gifting for children's birthdays, Father's Day for cat dads, or pet adoption congratulations
• Cat lovers who celebrate the bad and the good of daily life with their feline overlords
• Readers who love the poetry and playfulness of Sandra Boynton, Emily Winfield Martin, and Shel Silverstein
• Adding to the family bookshelf alongside funny bath books and cat books like The Cat in the Hat, Bad Kitty Gets a Bath, and The Pigeon Needs a Bath!

Publisher: Chronicle Books
Published: 02/08/2022
Pages: 48
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 11.30h x 9.20w x 0.50d
ISBN: 9781452142708
Age: Ages 4-8

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 1.5
Point Value: 0.5
Interest Level: Lower Grade
Quiz #/Name: 518015 / Bathe the Cat


Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 09/06/2021
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 10/01/2021
Kirkus Reviews 11/01/2021
School Library Journal 11/01/2021 pg. 55
Booklist 11/01/2021 pg. 68
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2022 pg. 93

About the Author
Alice B. McGinty is the award-winning author of 50 fiction and nonfiction books for children. She loves to write! Here are her most recent books: 2020 Jr. Library Guild Selection The Water Lady (Schwartz and Wade Books, illustrated by Shonto Begay), Kirkus Best Book of 2020 A Story for Small Bear (Schwartz and Wade Books, illustrated by Richard Jones), The Sea Knows (2020, Simon and Schuster, with co-author Alan Havis, illustrated by Stephanie Laberis), 2019 Jr. Library Guild Selection The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney (Schwartz and Wade, illustrated by Elizabeth Haidle), 2019 Northern Lights Book Award Winner (food category) Pancakes to Parathas: Breakfast Around the World (Little Bee, illustrated by Tomoko Suzuki), 2015 Sydney Taylor Notable book Rabbi Benjamin's Buttons (Charlesbridge, illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt), and the picture book biography Gandhi: A March To the Sea (Amazon Children's Publishing, illustrated by Thomas Gonzales), which was awarded as an honor book for the 2014 South Asia Book Award for Children's And Young Adult Literature. Her picture book biography Darwin (2009, Houghton Mifflin, illustrated by Mary Azarian) received a 2010 Orbis Pictus Honor and was listed on Booklist's 2009 Top Ten Biographies for Youth. Other publications include Eliza's Kindergarten Pet (2010, Two Lions Press, illustrated by Nancy Speir), Thank You, World (2007, Dial Books, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin), and nonfiction books on subjects ranging from nutrition to tarantulas.

Alice's latest books include Step by Step (Simon and Schuster, illustrated by Diane Goode), Bathe the Cat (Chronicle Books, illustrated by David Roberts), My Israel and Me (Kalaniot Books, illustrated by Rotem Terplow), A Synagogue Just Like Home (Candlewick Press, illustrated by Laurel Molk), and Truck Says Moo (Chronicle Books, illustrated by Camille Garoche).

Alice was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and has lived in New York, New Jersey, Kentucky, Maryland, Georgia, Indiana, and Illinois. She's been in Illinois for over 25 years now! A frequent presenter at schools and conferences, Alice was awarded the 2017 Prairie State Award for excellence in writing for children.

Alice loves to hike, play the guitar, dance, and read. She's also a writing teacher and coach, runs a writing camp for teens, is a children's book reviewer for The News-Gazette or Champaign-Urbana, and is a Regional Adviser Emerita for the Illinois Chapter of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.

David Roberts is an award-winning illustrator of bestselling children's books, including Iggy Peck, Architect; Rosie Revere, Engineer;Ada Twist, Scientist; and Sofia Valdez, Future Prez. He is currently based in London.